Ark of Bukhara

Description:

The Ark or Arg of Bukhara is the central citadel within the city's larger mud wall fortifications. It has served a multitude of royal functions over the last twelve centuries ranging from military barracks and palatial quarters to administrative offices. Currently situated as a citadel within the northern section of the old city, it was originally built as an independent fortress and had stood distinct from Bukhara's earliest shahristan, or city center. With its sloping mud walls, this Central Asian citadel is in dire need of repair. As a structure that was continuously used through the centuries, it demonstrates the transformations in military architecture and technology from early Arab rule until the modern Russian state.
Source: http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=8348 [Accessed August 7, 2012];